Malaysia: Carlsberg Malaysia expands its 1664 premium beer portfolio

Carlsberg Malaysia has expanded its 1664 premium beer portfolio with a new lager offering, hoping to appeal to a wider consumer segment with its ASEAN-first launch into this new category, FoodNavigator-Asia reported on June 25.

The brewery owns exclusive rights to the 1664 French beer brand outside of the United Kingdom, including in Malaysia and Singapore, and so far has only sold the 1664 Blanc and 1664 Rosé wheat beers in these markets.

In an attempt to widen its reach, Carlsberg Malaysia has introduced the new 1664 Brut lager beer to the local market, taking a multi-format approach by launching this across both retail and foodservice.

“We mean for 1664 Brut to appeal to premium beer drinkers that are looking for lager products, it has a different taste profile with a different edge and a twist to it compared to the well-known 1664 Blanc wheat beer,” Carlsberg Malaysia Managing Director Stefano Clini told FoodNavigator-Asia.

“This will allow beer drinkers that don’t like wheat beer to access the 1664 brand, so we can increase the appeal of the brand and open up to new consumer segments that like a different taste profile.

“It means that our 1664 range in Malaysia now provides a diverse premium brew selection from wheat beer to lager, in the same iconic blue bottle 1664 is known for.”

At the formal launch of Carlsberg’s marketing campaign for the new launch, dubbed Discover the New Side of Blue, Carlsberg Marketing Director Olga Pulyaeva added that this is the first time a 1664 lager is making its appearance in the South East Asian region.

“We are particularly proud that we are the first South East Asian country to launch this exciting product,” she said.

“1664 Brut is a crisp, golden lager that carries a sparkling twist, ensuring it can match well with many occasions.

“This will be making its way nationwide in Malaysia in pints, cans and draught at an ABV of 4.5% from June 2024.”

Carlsberg has been unwavering in its stance to pursue a premiumisation strategy even amidst an unfavourable economic environment and foreign exchange challenges in Malaysia.

“The key to remember is that we cannot be making long-term decisions based on short-term economic trends – there will always be rises and falls in consumer sentiment and inflationary challenges will come and go, but to base business decisions solely on these would not be good business sense,” Clini said.

“Premium brands are the key revenue growth drivers and will remain attractive as consumers have become more discerning and alcohol beverages are getting more complex.

“We will continue to step-up in our premiumisation strategy as we believe it will help our margins in the long run, and in addition to 1664 Brut we have also commenced the local production and distribution of Sapporo beer.”

26 June, 2024